A press release via Reuters details a new and exciting alternative to skin grafts for burn victims. The method includes some stem cells which allows hair follicles and sebaceous glands to develop in the new layers of skin.

This development offers another possible avenue for rosacea treatments similar to Microskin. Of course rosacea is not the same thing as a serious burn but it is exciting to think about how future highly targeted treatments like this will emerge.

This new bio-printer sprays skin cells on burn victim’s wounds, promoting healthy recovery. The printer is mounted onto a frame that is wheeled over a patient’s hospital bed. A laser reads the depth and shape of the wound, and with the help of a computer the device sprays a precise layer of skin cells that can heal infection-prone wounds in just three weeks.

The skin-spraying project is being developed by scientists and students at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. They are planning to team up with U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine to use the device to help wounded soldiers returning from overseas. The process starts as skin cells are separated and purified. They are then placed in a nutritious solution that helps the cells multiply. They are then loaded into the device, sprayed on the skin in layers and voila! Burns are healed. So far they’ve only tested the process on mice, and they were able to successfully heal burns after just three weeks.